Thursday is Frank Gotch Day in Iowa, marking the 100th anniversary of a victory by a farm boy turned pro wrestler who was an international grappling star long before TV wrestling and the mixed martial arts craze.

Gable is the modern icon of Iowa amateur wrestling. He won Olympic gold in 1972 following his one-loss career at Iowa State and coached the University of Iowa to college dominance. But Chapman, author of a book called From Gotch to Gable, traces Iowa's wrestling passion back to Gotch, a native of Humboldt, Iowa.

"All these farm kids grew up in the 1920s wanting to be like Frank Gotch. His shadow hung over the land," says Chapman. "There is no question he changed the face of professional wrestling and provided a huge boost for amateur wrestling."

On April 3, 1908, in Chicago, Gotch beat George Hackenschmidt, a native Estonian who lived in Russia and was called the "Russian Lion." It was billed as the world heavyweight wrestling champ. Chapman says he is "absolutely" convinced that back then wrestling was real competition.

"Gotch went into the match as a huge underdog. He outmaneuvered him, wore him down and made him surrender," says Chapman.

Submission holds were allowed. Chapman says Gotch"s favorite was the "step-over toe hold," in which he bent the toes in a way they aren't made to bend. "Once he got it secure, there was no way out," says Chapman. "He could literally break your ankle.

Frank Gotch Day events, including a luncheon, will be held in Waterloo. The mayors of Waterloo and Humboldt have proclaimed Frank Gotch Day, as well as Iowa Governor Chet Culver.

Chapman says Gotch wrestled until a few years before his death in 1917 at age 39 (the cause was listed as kidney failure), winning 88 in a row at one stretch. President Teddy Roosevelt once invited Gotch to the White House, where he took on a Japanese jiu-jitsu expert.

"Teddy Roosevelt said the Japanse ambassador had been bragging his man could whip any American," says Chapman. "They wrestled right in the East Wing, and Frank made him submit."

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Underdog Frank Gotch beat "Russian Lion" George Hackenschmidt 100 years ago, marking the Iowa native's place in wrestling history.

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